


Summer Camp

by JenCforCarolina



Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-30
Updated: 2017-08-30
Packaged: 2018-12-21 17:50:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11949498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenCforCarolina/pseuds/JenCforCarolina
Summary: Where Kinderguardians go when they are difficult to manage.





	Summer Camp

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Korfie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Korfie/gifts).



> Written for Destinyweek day 2: Classes. Find it on tumblr [ Here ](http://jencforcarolina.tumblr.com/post/164785946988/destinyweek-day2-little-late-due-to)
> 
> Astrid belongs to [Korfie!](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Korfie)

Auburn glanced around the campfire, and was grateful she’d found and claimed Selene as her second before the Exo had been sent to this. She would have made a mess of it.

One of the other humans present was a Hunter, loud and unabashed, and was grilling a shy, ungendered Exo Warlock about their nervous system equivalent. Their yellow lights were pulsing increasing discomfort, and Auburn’s heart reached for them, wishing to whisk them away and bring calmness, to soothe their stress before the Light bubbled and combusted. But Izzy, one of Auburns co-mentors, was watching her with eyes that said _no_. The Warlock would learn to keep their Light in check, in face of all odds. Otherwise, the Hunter would learn, quite explosively, to not make a fresh Warlock uncomfortable. Both lessons were valuable, both would be learned this week.

Auburn pursed her lips, glared her disapproval at Izzy. The Awoken shrugged, leaning back against the cedar trunk at her back.

This was their job. Auburn, Izzy, and their third -a Warlock named Ceros, currently meditating- were supposed to coach, nudge, and guide fresh Guardians in a direction that would make them more valuable to a team, or confident enough to stand on their own.

Ikora had roped Auburn into this a few years back, it was her fifth session. The Titan had needed very little convincing. Mentoring Selene, she’d taken to helping those others seemed to deem un-help-able, for one reason of another.

Their charges consisted of three. It was the smallest group, most Auburn had coached consisted of five, sometimes seven. She tried not to think of what it meant, not having _enough_ new faces to fill a session.

Cole was a Hunter, human, belligerent, and seemingly unable to realize just how much he ground the gears of everyone around him, quite literally in some cases. He was brash, and unsympathetic and believed himself to be destined for greatness. He had some skill, but not enough to run solo, and he would need bucketfuls of humility if he wanted anyone to accept him into a fireteam.

Aliti-7 was the Warlock being tormented. They were paralyzed, staring at the fire, limbs wrapped close to their frame, trying so hard to keep themself under control. The were edging microscopically away from the loud human beside them.

Astrid was the third and most interesting, settled at the exact median point between the rowdiness and the three mentors. She was a Titan, armor custom fit around the small form. She had been reborn curiously, unconventionally, as a human child, but was full of fire. When Cole had sneered at her, mentioned that civilian children’s school was located _inside the wall_ , she punched him in the gut. Attempted to at least, but height difference put her aim lower. Auburn had to hide her pride. It had shut him up for some time, but now he was getting loud again.

“Can’t you like, take him by the ear or something? Tell him Hunters are not exempt from societal expectations of common courtesy.” She hissed at Izzy. She huffed in response.

“Ya think that will get through to him?”

“Well I was hoping you’d word it with more Hunter camaraderie Tell ‘im he’s a prick and no one will think he’s cool if he’s _too much_ of a prick.”

She sniffed in what may have been a laugh, a sigh, something. Just kept lounging. “How about you? Gonna tell your squirt punching is to be reserved for the enemy?”

“He’s twice her height, he counts.”

“That’s the criteria these days?”

Auburn could feel Astrid’s cold little eyes on her. Understandable mistrust. What child did not despise adults at her age? Old enough to think but too young to be taken seriously by most. Auburn considered her no different from any new Guardian, just one with specific unique challenges, but there was no way for the girl to know that. It was hard for intentions of helping to not appear condescending. 

“In this case.” Izzy didn’t appear to disapprove. 

“They’re all fully capable.” Ceros butted in. He’d been stretching his void awareness out, teasing around the edges of the new Guardian’s light signatures, collecting information on their strengths and weaknesses that would help the tutors this week. None of them had appeared to notice him metaphorically wading in their midst. Auburn noticed the absence of his net more than she had noticed its presence.

Fully capable turned out to be somewhat of an overestimation. Cole tugged on Aliti’s bond. They’d not tightened it well, was still unpracticed, and the metal fell off in his hand. The Exo whipped their head around and released a pulse of angry static from their audio outputs. Orange flames flickered up her clenched arm and lashed out from the shoulder at the offender, who howled and fell back. Astrid was a blur, leapt from the fireside and darted a solid dozen paces back into the woods where she stopped in a ready pose, brandishing a branch she’d picked up in her dash. 

Izzy was on their feet first, _“That’s what you get,”_ already snapping from her tongue. Auburn sidestepped Ceros, strode towards the wild child, hovering a few feet off, not sure how to diffuse. 

She glanced at the others, at the spectacle they were making. Ceros was helping Aliti with their bond, attaching and reattaching and having them try. Both were calmer, the fire subsided. Izzy did literally have Cole by there ear, and was filling it with spit and reprimand. He was quite red. Auburn crossed her arms and sighed, glanced back down to Astrid. This was supposed to be a teaching moment, she was sure of it. 

“Try this.” She said, re-shuffling her hands. “Cross your arms, shoulders up and then drop them down and sigh- through the nose, yes.”

Warily, the young girl mimicked her, dropping the branch in the process. The sigh was rancorous for such a young soul.

“There ya go.” She said. “You’re a Titan. Sometimes it’s your job to step in on crap like that. But pick your battles kid, pick your battles.” 

Astrid nodded solemnly, then pinched her brow. “Don’t call me kid.” She retorted.

Auburn figured she could make this work.


End file.
